Card holding attachment for tables



Dec. 31, 1957 w, R A 2,818,261

CARD HOLDING ATTACHMENT FOR TABLES Original Filed April 18, 1951 IN VEN TOR.

James W. Marya BY wmew United States Patent 9 CARD HOLDING ATTACHMENT FoR TABLES James W. Morgan, Wichita Falls, Tex., assignor to Wayland D. Keith, Wichita Falls, Tex.

Continuation of application Serial No. 221,640, filed April 18, 1951. This application February 15, 1954, Serial No. 410,381

5 Claims. (Cl. 273-150) This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 221,640, filed April 18, 1951, now abandoned.

This invention relates to new and novel attachments for card tables and the like for holding cards or other playing pieces in position for visual inspection by the player.

Due to the current popularity of games requiring more than one deck of cards, with each player being required to have more cards than can conveniently be held in one hand for visual inspection by the player, the present device is particularly adaptable. The device is also helpful to handicapped players who do not have complete use of the hands. In the playing of games such as canasta, rurnrny, or other games of similar nature, it is often desirable to arrange cards in groups or books so they may be seen at all times by the player for playing at the proper time and yet leave the players hands free to partake of refreshment or to pick up cards.

An object of this invention is to provide a device for holding cards for playing at such an angle as to be visible to the player, which cards can be arranged as the player desires, but which are not visible to the other players at the table.

Another object of this invention is to provide an attachment for card tables or the like for holding more cards than can readily be held in the hands, but leaving the playing surface of the table substantially free to receive the cards being played thereon.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a card holding device that is off-set from the top of the table along the outer edge thereof so as to make the cards less visible to the opposing players.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a card holding attachment for card tables and the like that may be readily folded collapsed into a relatively small space for shipping or storage.

The device embodying the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters designate like parts in the several views thereof, in which:

Fig. l is a perspective top plan view of the invention installed on a card table, with parts broken away and shortened, and shown in section to illustrate the details of construction;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary top perspective view of the invention showing a corner of a card table with the invention installed thereon, with parts broken away and shown in section to show the details of construction;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevational view of the invention showing the inner side at an end of one of the card holding members which shows the manner of attachment of the resilient means for holding the members in place;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of an end of the longitudinal member of the card holding attachment showing the resilient means attached thereto;

Patented Dec. 31, 1957 ice Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the top, an end, and a side of the card holding device folded into a compact unit for shipping or for storage, with parts broken away and shortened to show the details of construction; and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary end view of the opposite end of the elongated members and the elastic members from that shown in Fig. 6.

With more detailed reference to the drawing, the card holding device comprises four longitudinal card holding members 21 that have longitudinal grooves 22 formed therein at an angle along the respective upper edges, which grooves are of such width and depth as to support playing cards at an angle therein so as to be readily visible to the player of the cards when the card holding members are installed on a card table designated at 23.

The length of the longitudinal card holding members 21 is slightly less than the length of a side of the standard card table, and an elastic strip 24 secures adjacent ends of the longitudinal card holding members together.

It is preferable to secure an elastic strip 24 within a recess 25, which is formed on the inner side of the longitudinal card holding member 21, near an end thereof. A block 26 is interfitted within the recess 25 and is secured in place by means of a nail 27, so that the block 26 bindingly engages the elastic strip 24 within the bottom of the recess 25 when the block is nailed in place. The block is of such thickness as not to protrude above the top of the recess. While the resilient member has been indicated as an elastric strip, it is to be pointed out that the applicant considers the use of any resilient means, such as a coiled tension spring, whether fiat or round, as the full mechanical equivalent of the elastic means as shown.

The exterior face of the longitudinal card holding member may be formed with such exterior decorating as a groove 28, so as to present an artistic appearance and to provide rounded corners 29 to prevent injury to the players.

The card table 23 is usually of standard size and when the longitudinal card holding members 21 are joined together by elastic strips 24 may be positioned around the table as indicated in Fig. 7, and the elastic strip 24 stretched so when released the strips will bindingly engage the sides of the table with the strips 24 in binding engagement with the corners of the table, as indicated in Figs. 7 and 8. The longitudinal card holding members will be held on the edge of the table 23 and may be adjusted downward to the proper height so when a card is positioned within the groove 22 it will be readily visible to the player, and if desired, the holding member may be adjusted so that the back of the card will rest against and be supported by the edge of the table. The top of the card holding member may be used for other playing pieces, such as dominoes.

The inner face of the longitudinal card holding members may be coated with rubberized or anti-slip substance 30, Figs. 3 and 4 as may be the inner surface of the elastic strips 24 so as to prevent the slippage of the device from its adjusted position on the card table.

When the device is not in use it may readily be removed from the table and folded into a small convenient unit, as shown in Fig. 12, for shipping or storage.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A card holding device for a table, comprising a plurality of elongated members, an elongated groove formed along the upper side of each of said elongated members and being adapted to receive a card therein, resilient means connecting adjacent ends of said elongated members and having the normal perimeter of said table larger than the normal area bounded by said elongated members and said resilient means, so upon positioning said elongated members secured together by said resilient means about said table said resilient means will be stretched to cause binding engagement of said elongated members with the respective sides of said table.

2. A card holding device for a table comprising a plurality of elongated members, said elongated members each having an elongated groove formed along the upper side thereof, which groove receives playing cards therein, an elastic strip securing adjacent ends of said elongated members togethentsaid elastic strips being of such length, that when said elongated members are fitted around the perimeter of said table, said strips will stretch to cause binding engagement between said elongated members and said table.

3. A card holding device for a table, comprising a plurality of elongated members, an elongated groove formed along the upper side of each of said elongated members and adapted to receive a card therein, said elongated members each having a groove formed on the inner face near each end thereof, an elastic strip securing the respective adjacent ends of said elongated members together, said elastic strips being secured within said grooves formed in the inner face of said elongated members by block and nail means whereby the inner face of each elongated strip will fit in binding engagement with a side of said table, which elastic strips are of such length that, when said elongated members are fitted around the perimeter of said table, said elastic strips will stretch sufficiently to cause a binding engagement between said elongated members and said table, and said elastic strips being of such character as to permit the folding thereof so said elongated members will fit in side by side relation when removed from said table.

4. In a card holding device for a table having a top, a rectangular frame comprising four elongated members, said elongated members each having a linear groove, of a width slightly greater than the thickness of a playing card, formed therein along the upper side thereof, a resilient member securing together the adjacent ends of said elongated members, with the normal perimeter of the rectangle thus formed being less than the perimeter of said table top, said elongated members being foldable in side by side relation, when the device is removed from said table top so the plane faces of said elonagted members will be in abutting relation.

5. A card holding device as defined in claim 4, wherein a rubberized substance coats at least a portion of the inner face of each of said elongated members.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 848,042 Musgrave Mar. 26, 1907 1,076,850 Wedderburn Oct. 28, 1913 1,104,681 MacQueen July 21, 1914 1,539,198 Marsh May 26, 1925 1,655,607 Hueter Ian. 10, 1928 1,893,594 Oestreich Jan. 10, 1933 2,394,866 McClune Feb. 12, 1946 

